I love a good high-protein pasta, but I don't always want to rely on faux meats. This sauce is my answer-blended peas, tofu, spinach, and a hit of miso and lemon. Creamy, savoury, and light enough to make you feel amazing after.
This sauce is fresh and creamy, so I recommend short pasta shapes like rigatoni, penne, or fusilli. They grab onto the sauce perfectly. But really, whatever's in the cupboard will do the trick-this is meant to be low effort, high reward.
🥣 Ingredient notes.
- Frozen peas add protein and natural sweetness-no need to thaw, just blend straight in.
- Fresh basil lifts the whole dish; use tender stalks too.
- White miso gives the sauce a gorgeous savoury backbone.
- Swap cashews for sunflower seeds if nut-free.
- No hemp seeds? Use pumpkin seeds, or just skip and add more tofu.
- For extra zing, double the lemon juice or finish with a squeeze on top.
- Leftover sauce keeps for 3 days in the fridge; stir into pasta, grains, or roasted veggies.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
🍋 That tiny sprinkle of lemon zest at the end? Magic. It wakes up the sauce, makes it feel lighter, and balances all the creamy, savoury flavours going on. Trust me-you'll notice if it's missing.
If you're loving the idea of blender-friendly sauces, you've got to try my roasted red pepper pasta. It's smoky, creamy, and comes together just as quickly-with a gorgeous depth from roasted garlic and paprika.
I've also got a lush pumpkin mac and cheese that's totally cashew-free and unbelievably creamy. Perfect for when you want comfort food that still feels light.
🔁 Smart Swaps and Substitutions:
- No nutritional yeast? Use vegan cream cheese, tahini, or miso paste for umami.
- No fresh basil? Swap in fresh parsley, rocket, or 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs.
- Nut-free? Replace cashews with sunflower seeds or white beans.
- Garlic too strong? Use roasted garlic or ½ teaspoon garlic powder instead.
- No silken tofu? Sub with unsweetened soy yoghurt or blended white beans.
- No white miso? Use yellow miso, soy sauce, or a pinch more salt + nooch.
- No lemon juice? Try apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar instead.
This recipe has been tested as it is written in the recipe card; it has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
How to make:
- Boil your pasta: Cook in salted water until al dente. Scoop out ¼ cup pasta water, then drain.
- Wilt the spinach: In a pan over medium heat, add spinach with a splash of pasta water. Cook until wilted, about 2-3 minutes.
- Blend the sauce: Add wilted spinach, frozen peas, silken tofu, basil, nutritional yeast, cashews, hemp seeds, white miso, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper to a blender. Blitz until completely smooth, using reserved pasta water to help loosen if needed.
- Heat the sauce: Pour the sauce into a pan and warm gently. Stir through the pasta until everything's creamy and well coated.
Blender Recommendation
I always say-use the best blender you can afford. I upgraded to a Vitamix back in 2019, and honestly? Total game changer. Smoothies, sauces, soups… everything blends into the silkiest, velvety dream. If you're blending often (especially fibrous things like oats or chia seeds), that power makes all the difference.
If you're short on space or want something smaller but still strong, I would recommend the NutriBullet 900w or the Pro 1200W or a Ninja personal blender Both are compact, quick, and great for single servings. Just let your frozen fruit thaw for a minute or two before blending for best results.
Whether you're just dipping into plant-based meals or have been here a while, this one's such a great example of how easy, filling and protein-rich vegan food can be. Simple ingredients, loads of flavour, no fuss.
Did you try this recipe?
Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, & Pinterest!
Thank you so much!
Meg x
📖 Recipe
One-Pot Vegan Pasta with Peas & Tofu
Equipment
- 1 blender
Ingredients
- 160 grams pasta, rigatoni, orecchiette, or your choice
- 1 teaspoon salt, for cooking pasta
- 125 grams baby spinach
- 75 grams frozen peas
- 175 grams silken tofu
- 25 grams fresh basil leaves and tender stalks
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 20 grams cashews
- 30 grams hemp seeds, shelled or milled
- 1.5 teaspoons white miso paste
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Optional: Lemon zest, for garnish
- Optional: 2 tablespoons vegan Parmesan, for serving
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add your pasta and cook until just al dente. Scoop out ¼ cup of pasta water before draining.
- Wilt the spinach: While the pasta cooks, add spinach to a hot pan with a splash of the reserved pasta water. Cook for 2-3 minutes until wilted, then remove from heat.
- Blend the sauce: To a high-speed blender, add the wilted spinach, frozen peas, silken tofu, basil, nutritional yeast, cashews, hemp seeds, white miso, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add a little of the reserved pasta water to loosen, if needed.
- Warm the sauce: Pour the sauce into a pan over low heat and stir through the cooked pasta until fully coated. Add more pasta water to reach your desired consistency.
- Serve: Plate up and finish with lemon zest, lots of cracked pepper, and vegan Parmesan if you like.
Notes
- No nutritional yeast? Swap for a spoon of vegan cream cheese or tahini.
- Nut-free? Use sunflower seeds or white beans instead of cashews.
- No silken tofu? Unsweetened soy yoghurt or blended white beans work in a pinch.
- Make ahead: Sauce keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently and stir in extra pasta water or plant milk to loosen.
Julia says
A great high protein option and quite easy to make! I really enjoyed it with some airfried shrimp on top 🙂
Megan Jones says
Thanks so much Julia! Glad you enjoyed it. Working on some more high protein easy meals - so watch this space 👀